Former first lady Michelle Obama is unperturbed that her daughter Malia Obama decided to drop the family name as she ventures into the creative industry.
Appearing on the Sibling Revelry podcast hosted by Oliver and Kate Hudson, Mrs. Obama sounded indifferent about her 25-year-old dropping the surname for a middle name, which fits her career as a filmmaker.
Mrs Obama, contributing to the show, described the name change as one prompted by the desire for “autonomy” instead of “rebellion.”
Malia, now known in the business as Malia Ann, made headlines in early 2024 after her short, The Heart, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.
“It is very important for my kids to feel like they’ve earned what they are getting in the world, and they don’t want people to assume that they don’t work hard. They’re very sensitive to that – they want to be their own people,” she stated.
The author and attorney highlighted the challenges faced by children of public figures, emphasizing that her daughters did not want to be “little princesses in the White House.”
She added that she and her husband, former President Barack Obama, were initially surprised by Malia’s name change but chose to respect the decision.
“We were like, they’re still going to know it’s you, Malia…We respected the fact that she’s trying to make her way.”
“…They want to be out in the world…And they needed more rope than I probably would’ve given them if I were my mom,” Mrs Obama added.
In April this year, the former First Lady discussed how her life has changed since she left the White House.
Asked how her social life had been since she stopped being First Lady, she noted: “It is whatever I want…It’s the first time in my life all of my choices are for me.”
She admitted to making excuses in the past due to her role as a public figure and as a mother, but that was not the case anymore.
Mrs Obama maintained that constant public scrutiny led to gossip and speculation about the state of her marriage. In February, rumors started spreading that Mr and Mrs Obama were getting ready for divorce.